Regulatory and Washington

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives passed a bill — dubbed the American Health Care Act — intended to repeal and replace several significant portions of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The measure passed narrowly by 217-213 vote and now moves on to the Senate, where the measure faces “uncertainty” regarding whether it will pass, according to various news reports. All 193 Democrats who voted on the measure voted “no,” along with 20 Republicans.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association on Tuesday submitted five recommendations for improving and transforming the Medicare Part D program in response to a Request for Information from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix has named a new head of its government affairs efforts. The company on Tuesday named John Provenzano to be its VP government relations. He will be assuming the helm of Publix’s local, state and federal government affairs, as well as its political action committee, effective June 12.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Community pharmacists stormed the nation's capital for two days this week, generation more than 600 interactions with lawmakers around the value of community pharmacy.

“It’s been a great week for community pharmacy patients,” stated Douglas Hoey, CEO NCPA. “Independent pharmacists have been their advocates for real solutions to the problems of medication access and affordability they face. And it’s clear that Congress is listening.”

WASHINGTON — One year after the project was formally announced, the Council for Responsible Nutrition's Supplement OWL initiative became a reality on Thursday as the online product registry is now live. Serving as a resource for regulators, retailers and industry, the OWL is an industry-wide, self-regulatory initiative that will help create a rich and more complete picture of the marketplace, and can be accessed by anyone.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chief merchant and CFO of H-E-B, Martin Otto, officially handed over the National Association of Drug Stores chairman gavel to Co-chief operating officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance and president of Walgreens Alex Gourlay during the NACDS Tuesday morning General Session II.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — This week, hundreds of community pharmacists will convene in Washington, D.C. to advocate for their patients and their businesses during the National Community Pharmacists Association's 2017 Congressional Pharmacy Fly-In.

On April 26 and 27, community pharmacists will meet with members of Congress to generate support for legislative priorities that improve patient access to prescription drug services. Those efforts will be supported by a week-long advertising campaign in leading Washington, D.C. news outlets.

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday posted warning letters addressed to 14 U.S.-based companies allegedly illegally selling more than 65 products that fraudulently claim to prevent, diagnose, treat or cure cancer. The products are marketed and sold without FDA approval, most commonly on websites and social media platforms, stated the FDA.